IPL organizers give inside view of preparations ahead of 1st match in Abu Dhabi: Watch

The 13th edition of the much-awaited Indian Premier League IPL (2020) is fast approaching. With just eight days left for the cash-rich league to begin, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council is doing all it can to ensure that the tournament is conducted without any hassles. Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders are the two teams that are training at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. 

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Abu Dhabi Sports Council leaving no stone unturned in IPL 2020 preparations

Recently, the Zayed Cricket Stadium manager Navdeep Arneja assured that all the safety measures are being taken care of and the authorities are making sure that teams maintain the bio-secure bubble. IPL’s official Twitter handle posted a video where Arneja revealed that since the 14-day quarantine for both the teams is over, both the teams are coming into the facility at the same time. As a result, he added that they extended the facility where they have two Ovals for both the teams so that they can practice at the same time.

Arneja further said that they have two dressing rooms designated to both Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders. He stated that before the teams arrive, they ensure that everything is set up and sanitised. Arneja also said that as soon as the teams arrive, they go to their respective dressing rooms and then to the Oval for training.

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Meanwhile, the BCCI announced the IPL 2020 schedule on Sunday, September 6. As per the newly announced IPL 2020 schedule, defending champions Mumbai Indians will take on arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings in the tournament opener on September 19 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. MI vs CSK is one of the most epic rivalries in the lucrative league. While Rohit Sharma led Mumbai Indians have won the coveted IPL title four times, MS Dhoni's CSK has laid their hands on the IPL trophy thrice. Both teams will look to add another IPL trophy in their cabinet by winning the IPL 2020.

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The IPL Governing Council had announced the opening and closing dates of IPL 2020 on August 2. Since then fans, as well as, IPL teams were keen on knowing the IPL 2020 schedule.  However, the BCCI decided to postpone the announcement of the IPL 2020 schedule due to the recent COVID-19 fiasco in the UAE when several members of the Chennai Super Kings contingent including two players had tested positive for the ungodly coronavirus.

The cricketing extravaganza will be played across three venues - Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi. According to the newly announced IPL 2020 schedule, Dubai will host 24 games, Abu Dhabi will host 20 games while Sharjah will be hosting 12 games. The 53-day tournament will witness 10 afternoon matches starting at 3:30 PM (IST) while the evening matches will start at 7:30 PM (IST). The IPL 2020 will be broadcasted in several languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Bengali apart from English.

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IMAGE COURTESY: IPL TWITTER